About Us

Portsmouth Disability Forum (PDF) came into being over 30 years ago when disabled and non-disabled people came together in Portsmouth to try to ensure that everyone had the same opportunities as everyone else.

PDF is a user–led organisation with a trustee board which consists of eleven trustees eight of whom are disabled representing a broad range of disabilities, and other organisations, the remaining three trustees are part of the board either for their knowledge and experience of disabilities or their professional or business knowledge. We are a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee and as such have to operate under these bodies requirements as set down in law in our Memorandum and Articles of Association.

PDF has sixteen part-time staff, of which the majority are either disabled themselves or have first-hand knowledge of disability. We have a regular team of seven disabled volunteers and a membership of disabled and non- disabled people, voluntary and statutory and a range of local and national disability organisations.

The Frank Sorrell Centre in Prince Albert Road, is owned by the charity and is fully accessible with its own car park. The Centre is run for the benefit of disabled people their families and personal assistants, disability groups and organisations in and around Portsmouth as well as supporting the local churches in our community.

PDF runs bi-monthly Open Access Feature Forums and monthly Empowering Children and Families meetings, to raise, debate and action topics relating to disability.

PDF provides a range of services itself including;

DIAL (Disability Information Advice Line) from where we also issue Radar Keys,